THE FIRM

As mentioned, last night I went to see "The Queen" starring Helen Mirren. It's true that she is marvellous in the role, and of course the physical ressemblance is quite startling (it's the hair that does it!). The other actors weren't so good but of course didn't look too much like the people they were playing, but it must be very difficult to find actors that can act and look like a living person. Charles was pretty well interpreted and of course Cheri came over as her usual vulgar self.

What I didn't know/had forgotton, was the film was based on the period when Diana died and my toes started to curl. I was never a fan of Diana and I think she did a lot of harm to 'The Firm', confusing being part of the Royal Family with Hollywood. When she went on television to explain the breakdown of her marriage, she should have been banished from the kingdom, in my view!

And ten years on, we are still talking about Diana, with the report published on the causes of her death. As she was a 'star' and died in tragic circumstances, I fear that the saga will go on for years and years - as with JFK or Marilyn Monroe - theories and counter theories will keep on popping up, adding fuel to the fire.

What has really annoyed me is that the report just published has cost £3.6 million of taxpayers' money ... 'People's Princess' indeed - I hope the 'people' are happy to have paid for the report which states what we all knew from the beginning, chauffeur over the limit, no seat belts, and high speed. Could be any of us couldn't it? But we don't have a father that runs an Egyptian bazaar in Knightsbridge (aka Harrods) and has enough clout to con someone into ordering a report that will be paid for by the taxpayer.

I can understand that al Fayed is mourning his son and that everyone has their own way of coming to terms with such grief; that it has reached such dramatic proportions, is another thing. A niggle at the back of my mind wonders whether he is also mourning the fact that perhaps his ne'er do well son might have married the ex Princess of Wales and mother to the future King of England, and of course that carpet has now been ripped out from under his feet.

With his enormous wealth, Fayed should have paid for this report out of his own pocket.

I take my hats off to the French authorities who did their job extremely well, did everything they could to save Diana's life, who acted with modesty and honesty in the aftermath of the accident and were treated very badly by the British, along the lines of 'Right, well thank you very much, we'll take over the case now, as you lot have probably made a hash-up'. I hope the French government send HM government the bill for all the work they did. The only blot on their report is the Fiat that no-one can trace ... if I had been the driver of that car, I would have destroyed it as fast as possible and emigrated.

Of course, the Press come out of this badly - but if one is in the limelight it comes with the job and Diana realised she had a ally in the Press and used them accordingly. Unfortunately they were her undoing. A terrible and tragic accident.

As Disraeli said 'Never complain and never explain' - a shame that Diana never took heed.